Letter: Parking is prized all over

With all the controversy surrounding the proposed bike lanes on Madison Avenue (Feb. 18 article, "Madison merchants: No bike lanes / Informational meeting sets out three options"), I think it is interesting that a similar issue is brewing in, of all places we would think bikes are revered, Portland, Ore.

A Feb. 2 "Rogue of the Week" column in Portland's weekly alternative newspaper Willamette Week discusses a proposed 41/2 -mile bike route through a Portland neighborhood. The residents were up in arms (described as of apocalyptic proportions) over this proposed route because of the loss of free on-street parking on one side of 52nd Avenue. "Actually, compared with elsewhere in the city, nobody parks on 52nd Avenue," the column said. "... A study of the area showed a peak use of 30 percent for those spots."

Just goes to show you, Memphis people and issues are no different from other parts of the country.